Three challenge incumbent in 22nd Ohio House race

Wednesday

Incumbent John Patrick Carney will face three challengers in the race for the 22nd Ohio House District.

Incumbent John Patrick Carney will face three challengers in the race for the 22nd Ohio House District.

Carney, a Democrat, is challenged by Corey Ansel (G-Columbus), Mark Noble (L-Columbus) and Angel R. Rhodes (R-Dublin) for the 22nd House District seat in the 2010 fall elections.

Ansel, a 19-year-old newcomer, is running under the Green party, but is a member of the party for socialism and liberation. The Clintonville resident is a freshman at Capital University; he graduated from Bishop Watterson High School.

According to Ansel, he's running to provide voters with another choice.

"If you look at the two-party system, it provides no alternative for someone like a working-class person like myself," he said. "I'm with the party for socialism and liberation. I'm running to promote alternatives to those politics putting money into corporate bailouts."

Carney, 34, is an attorney in the Columbus office of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur; he counsels clients on healthcare-related topics.

Carney earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Ohio State University and resides in Clintonville with his wife Jennifer and daughters Maggie and Clara.

"I'm running because I think I can be helpful in improving the state of Ohio," he said, adding that as a student at OSU he worked on literacy programs for healthcare. "In the 11th and 12th grade when I was growing up, my mom delivered for meals on wheels. Public service is something you were born into in my family."

Noble, 34, is a software engineer for the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow and has a degree in electrical and computer engineering from OSU.

Noble lives in Clintonville with his wife, Loretta, and said he's running to offer a view he feels more residents want.

"I'm running because when I look at the choices provided by the political establishment in Ohio, I don't see a lot of choices that appeal to moderates," he said, adding that if elected he'll focus on bringing legislation closer to home. "As a representative, I plan to work with other representatives of any party to bring as much legislative responsibility as possible home from Washington. I think the closer the lawmaking in our society is to the people, the better it is to live under that system of laws."

Rhodes, 44, is the director and professor of the School Counseling Graduate program for the Capital University branch of the University of Dayton and earned both her bachelors and Ph.D. from OSU. She also has master's degree in community counseling from the University of Dayton.

Rhodes lives in Dublin with her husband JD Kaplan, and is running to give back to Ohio and help turn things around.

"Ohio is at a critical turning point. We are losing jobs to other states, unemployment continues to rise, and education is struggling. Yet, there is the opportunity for better days ahead with the right leadership. I want to help turn Ohio around and bring it back to being the thriving state it once was," she said.

Candidates for the 22nd Ohio House District have varying views on how to fix Ohio's economy if elected.

"The very first thing I would do it relieve the tax burden from the working class," Ansel said. "They shouldn't be paying for corporate bailouts. The people who should be paying for this economic crisis are the ones who caused it."

Ansel said he'd also fight for "workers rights by raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour."

According to Carney, improvements hinge on regulations and education.

"I think one of the things that is most important to improving the economy in Ohio is making sure regulations across the state are predictable and easily understandable," he said. "Obviously from the workforce development angle, a lot of folks are in the position that they need greater skills to be employed. We need training that's affordable"

According to Carney, keeping college in Ohio affordable and keeping student once they graduate will also help.

For Noble, improving the economy means making sure "we have the best legal and regulatory environment for business. This means that it needs to be easier for all companies not just a select few, to see real economic benefit from a move to Ohio. It also must be a great place to start a company"

Ohio must also "live within its means.

"For Ohio's economy to achieve long-term growth and stability our state government will need to reign-in spending, reduce tax burdens, and not over-extend itself with credit that must be repaid by our kids," he said.

For Rhodes, the key is reducing tax burdens and restrictions on businesses.

"By creating a 'business friendly' environment, companies will be able to develop, expand or relocate to our great state. Ohio has the best work-force in America, but the current policies are driving jobs out of our state and to Texas, Georgia and Florida," she said.

Rhodes also pledged to be practical and fiscally responsible if elected, which includes cutting "irresponsible spending for projects such as the 3-C Train."

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